[SMM Hydrogen Policy Update] National Energy Administration: The 15th Five-Year Plan for Energy Development Under the New Round of NDC Targets

On October 31, at its Q4 2025 press conference, the National Energy Administration responded to media questions regarding “the new round of NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement) set a target of over 30 % non-fossil energy share by 2035 and aims for total wind and solar power installed capacity to reach 3.6 billion kW. What key phased indicators and implementation pathways will the 15th Five-Year energy development plan establish to achieve this goal?”

Zhang Xing, Deputy Director-General of the General Office of the National Energy Administration, replied: The 15th Five-Year Plan period will be a crucial five years for getting started and overcoming difficulties. On the basis of continuing to vigorously expand scale, we must accelerate the establishment of new energy that “stands on its own” and “can be relied upon,” achieving larger-scale, higher-quality, and stable development. Priority tasks include the following:

First, further expand new energy supply. Coordinate local electricity consumption and outbound transmission channel construction, and accelerate the development of “desert, Gobi, and barren land” new energy bases. Leverage the complementary advantages of hydro, wind, and solar power, and actively promote the planning and construction of integrated hydro-wind-solar bases. Step up offshore wind development, improve top-level design, and speed up the formulation of planning documents and management measures for deep-sea offshore wind power to promote standardized and orderly construction. Advance diversified, multi-scenario distributed new energy development.

Second, actively promote integrated new energy development. Accelerate the formulation of policy documents that foster integrated new energy development, coordinate the synergistic optimization and upgrading of new energy and traditional industries, and promote the integrated and mutually reinforcing development of new energy with computing power and green hydrogen and other strategic emerging industries, using new energy deployment to guide overall productivity layout. Support the development of new models and new business forms such as direct green electricity connections and virtual power plants to facilitate nearby new energy consumption.

Third, broaden non-electric utilization pathways for new energy. While better leveraging the role of the power grid and continuously improving power system regulation capability and new energy consumption levels, actively expand non-electric utilization of new energy, focusing on promoting wind- and solar-based hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol production as well as wind- and solar-based heating and district heating for diversified conversion and local utilization. Accelerate the construction of integrated wind-solar-hydrogen-ammonia-methanol bases and encourage the replacement of fossil-fuel-based heat and steam supply in the industrial sector with wind- and solar-based green electricity.

Fourth, comprehensively raise new energy consumption levels. Implement minimum renewable energy consumption targets, and promptly issue the Measures for Implementing Minimum Renewable Energy Consumption Targets and the Renewable Energy Electricity Consumption Responsibility Weight System, advancing both mandatory and voluntary renewable energy consumption in tandem. Improve the green electricity certificate trading mechanism, strengthen the electricity-carbon-certificate market coordination and linkage, actively promote the international mutual recognition of green electricity certificates, and reasonably reflect the environmental value of green electricity.

Fifth, improve the market and pricing mechanisms suitable for a high proportion of new energy. Cooperate with relevant departments to guide local governments in accelerating the introduction and implementation of market-oriented reform implementation plans for new energy on-grid tariffs, scientifically and reasonably set various boundary conditions, properly handle the relationship between lowering electricity prices and stabilizing returns while reasonably aligning with existing policies, and stabilize market expectations and investment enthusiasm. Establish market trading rules that accommodate the characteristics of new energy, providing reasonable revenue guarantees and risk management mechanisms for new energy.